Foreign policy in the US is squarely in the domain of the executive branch. However, the Senate recently sought to limit Trump’s options by passing a bill imposing sanctions on North Korea, Iran, and Russia that the president could not undo without congressional approval.

Senator Lindsey Graham (R-North Carolina) is now saying that Trump told him personally he would be willing to go to war in North Korea.

“There is a military option – to destroy North Korea’s program and North Korea itself,” Graham said on NBC’s Today show on Tuesday morning.

“He’s not going to allow – President Trump – the ability of this madman to have a missile to hit America,” he added, referring to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. “If there is going to be a war to stop him, it will be over there. If thousands die, they are going to die there, they’re not going to die here.”

Graham usually acts in tandem with Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona), but the former Navy pilot is currently at home in Arizona fighting brain cancer, after he came to Washington last week to sink a healthcare reform proposal championed by the White House.

“President Trump doesn’t want a war. The Chinese can stop this,” Graham told NBC, reflecting the prevalent opinion in Washington that the key to resolving the North Korean crisis is in the hands of Beijing.